


The Grimoire Thief- Bad Endings

by loafingdragon



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bad Ending, Betrayal, Brief Gore, Character Death, Espionage, F/M, Gen, Guilt, M/M, Manipulation, Negative character development, Permanent Injury, Poisoning, Romance, Sequel?, Sibling Bonding, Suspense, Two Endings, everyone is at their worst, evil Nebra Silva, girlboss Nebra Silva, the bad guys win, villain Nebra Silva
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:08:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29896086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loafingdragon/pseuds/loafingdragon
Summary: Do you think Nebra Silva has girl power?Do you think she effectively utilized girl power by usurping her brother and manipulating/intimidating everyone into silence about it?An AU Sequel to The Grimoire Thief in which Nebra gives in to temptation and must live with her decision to betray Nozel.
Relationships: Nebra Silva & Noelle Silva & Nozel Silva & Solid Silva, Nebra Silva/Fuegoleon Vermillion, Nebra Silva/Original Character(s), Nozel Silva/Fuegoleon Vermillion
Comments: 9
Kudos: 10





	1. Out of the Silver Mist

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Grimoire Thief](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24134233) by [loafingdragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/loafingdragon/pseuds/loafingdragon), [subtleassiduities](https://archiveofourown.org/users/subtleassiduities/pseuds/subtleassiduities). 



> This diverges at a scene in The Grimoire Thief's Chapter 8, and a short portion of that scene is where it starts. New content starts at the black line. It is darker than TGT, but there are some light parts, too. It probably won't make sense if you didn't read TGT, though. This was also written with less planning and editing. It is more in the form of short snippets than completely fleshed out chapters. It's just for fun! Honestly I was in it for the vibes... and sexy evil Nebra.
> 
> That said, it currently has two alternate endings and in my opinion, neither is as satisfying as the original. So just be aware that this is the bad ending where characters do bad things and get things that they don't deserve.

Ferdinand had his grimoire out already when she laid her brother’s unconscious body in front of him. He leaned over Nozel, all too aware of the short range he had to work in. His leg was at his side at a strange angle, bent too many times, and he clenched his teeth tight when moving jarred it. “I will deliver the mercury from his system, dearest.”

She bristled. Whether it was at the pet name, the way he knew exactly what he had done, or the way her spell couldn’t even taste the mana of his, she did not know. Maybe it was all of those things combined that silenced her long enough for him to get going.

“Anything you wish. I just think that this…” his breath hissed as he inhaled through his teeth. “This is an opportunity for you. Nozel has always tried to control you. To limit you.”

“He was trying to protect me,” she snapped.

“He is trying and failing, where you are succeeding. It just shows how much he’s underestimated you,” he hissed.

She shook her head and crossed her arms, heart pounding. Crouching beside Nozel, she watched Ferdinand’s hands work on him. Nothing looked different. His breathing was still shallow. Was it working? Or was he getting worse? “I don’t want to be praised right now.”

“This isn’t praise. It’s evidence. You are a stronger warrior and a better protector.” 

How could her heart still flutter when she received compliments from this man? Her brother was severely injured at her feet, and she couldn’t stop listening to his attacker. Was the visceral hatred she felt so easily wiped away? Nebra felt queasy, sickened by her own weakness. She pressed her hand to the marble floor to steady herself.

“Two royals were not enough to make you change your mind. You’re a woman of strength, poise, and resolve.”

 _Maybe I am,_ the young, lonely girl in her wanted to cling to his praise, even though everything else in her was berating her foolishness. It was so easy to remember her days bedbound. No one had been there for her but Ferdinand. _I’m loyal to those who really love me._

“You deserve more than you’ve received, all this time. You deserve it and you know how to get it.”

“I have everything I need,” she growled.

“You deserve more,” he insisted gently. “And Nozel’s made every effort to keep you from getting it. You deserve someone at your side who makes you feel good. Who let you feel like yourself. You deserve someone who helps you grow stronger… Someone unafraid to say they love you, dearest N.”

Something inside of her objected, but it was silenced. _You deserve that! You deserve someone who really loves you!_ Nebra squeezed her eyes shut. _Doesn’t Nozel love me?_ She asked herself feebly. 

“You should be the head of House Silva, not Nozel. Trust me, dearest. _I_ love you.”

Nebra’s gaze shifted to Nozel. She shook her head, wanting desperately to reject the shaky thoughts trying to manifest in her head. Instead, the full weight of what he was implying crashed into her mind. Her stomach rolled at the realization that his words were something she could ever consider. Having House Silva under her control, and Ferdinand at her side… She loved Nozel, but did he love her? Or was she only a burden? If that was all he thought of her, then maybe it would be a relief if he were too hurt to lead, and her life was no longer his responsibility. If she had someone strong and capable to help her grow powerful. She looked up at Ferdinand through her eyelashes and the fog. He was looking down at Nozel, grimoire open and glowing as he directed the poison in her brother's body. Surely he would understand. She would never let him kill Nozel, but to let his mercury cripple him… 

* * *

Sweat slicked Nebra’s hands. The mist around her was thick and wet. Still, it reverently avoided sticking to her skin. In her arms was her brother’s body.

Nozel was heavy not because of his weight or his unwieldy size. She knew that couldn’t be it; he had carried her before, and they weren’t so different in size. Mana empowered her hold on him. It was the weight of her actions that made it so hard to keep her body moving. She could feel the cold rivulets of his mana moving weakly over his skin, and feel his shallow breathing. She almost couldn’t bear to hold him in this state, but she needed to get away from here. She needed to leave the manor behind and bring Nozel home.

Even though she knew he was coming, her mind was too much a whirlwind to react. She crashed straight into Fuegoleon’s broad frame.

He caught Nozel reflexively. The fire mage’s mana flared, but his alarm only fed Nebra’s own spell. “What’s going on?”

Nebra’s voice caught in her throat. She clutched his arm and struggled to answer, “A-a doctor… We need to get Nozel help!”

His eyes shot down to Nozel like he was processing his presence for the first time. She could hardly make out his features in the fog. “I can’t cast a spell. You need to get rid of-”

“I can’t!” Nebra cried. It was a lie, but her frustration was sincere. “Fuegoleon, please- Nozel, he- if we don’t get help-” Her voice cracked. Her nails dug into his skin. Her pulse pounded under her skin. The fear and stress rose up in her with sickening speed.  _ Did I make a mistake? _

Fuegoleon shifted Nozel and dislodged her nails.Clutching her hand, he dragged her away from the manor. Her feet stumbled on the dirt path as they traveled through the endless fog of her spell. Each second, Nozel’s condition festered. Nebra couldn’t help but imagine his clammy skin, and the way his limbs shivered, asynchronous and intermittent.  _ He won’t die _ , she reminded herself. Ferdinand had promised her that much.  _ It will be better. He’ll thank me. This is what you had to do for all of us! Get it together, Nebra…  _

“Nebra!” Fuegoleon’s bark snapped her out of her thoughts. Had he been trying to talk to her this whole time?

“What?”

“Tell me what happened. You’re shaking. And Nozel is in this state...” His back was to her, and his pace was still brisk. He sounded composed.

She swallowed. “Nozel… he lost control.” 

His magic swirled. 

“I had to stop him. He was hurting himself. He would have died if-” Again, her throat trapped what she needed to say.

“If?” Fuegoleon’s eyes slipped back, and he peered at her seriously over his shoulder.

Could she really say this?  _ It was true. It was almost true. _ “Ferdinand saved him.”

Fuegoleon’s grip on her hand tightened. 

“I don’t know,” she said quietly. “But Nozel already did so much damage on himself, all he could do was stop it from getting worse. A healing mage-”

“I understand,” Fuegoleon said. Though his mana couldn’t billow out, his skin still grew hot. They trudged onward. “Time is a factor. Try to figure out how to drop this fog. If it is like before-”

“I’ll try,” she said. And once the manor was far behind them, she did.


	2. I Can't Fix You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nebra and Solid try to cope with Nozel's injuries.

Nebra looked down at Nozel from his bedside. Her hands squeezed one of his and her leg bouncing in a nervous tremor.  _ Shouldn’t he be awake by now? _ The wounds from his attack had healed, but still he laid sleeping.

Solid stalked back and forth at the end of the bed. “I’ll kill that guy myself,” he snarled.

“I told you he did this to himself,” Nebra said. The response had become reflex by now, but she didn’t expect Solid, of all people to believe it. “Why did they let him leave when he was already hurt?”

“He was fine! No one can stop Nozel! No one who doesn’t pull dirty tricks!” he snapped.

Nebra rose. 

Solid’s eyes followed her as she crossed the room, and when she stepped through the doorway, he was on her heels. “It was some trick, wasn’t it? No one can defeat Nozel! He would never do this to himself!”

“He did,” she insisted.

“You need to get your head checked,” he argued, voice cracking.

She stopped short. He scrabbled to avoid running headlong into her back. “Do you really think I would defend someone who harmed our brother?” she hissed. “Do you think I could be so easily misled?” Something twisted in her chest.  _ Yes, I lied. But it’s for the greater good. _

“If he used magic-”

Nebra whirled on him. The corridor rattled with the force of her mana. Her power felt like it had grown in Nozel’s absence. Or maybe she had always been in the habit of holding back.  _ Again and again, Ferdinand proves himself right. _ “Don’t insult me,” she snarled.

Solid shrank. He looked away and stuffed his hands in his pockets. His lip quivered.

She turned and continued her march down the hall. For the first time since she arrived home, she didn’t hear his footsteps following. Still, she spoke for his benefit. “If big brother hasn’t woken up by the end of the week, I will need to do something with the Silver Eagles until he does. We still need to look strong.”

A whimper.

A sniff.

Nebra looked back. 

Solid’s hands were balled at his sides, white-knuckled. Fat tears wobbled at the edges of his eyelids. His nose was already dripping. “Are-” A blobby tear escaped his eye and ran down his cheek. Others followed, and his words came out wet. “Are you both really going to be okay?”

A pit opened in her gut. “Of course we will be. Something like this cannot break a Silva. Stay strong, Solid. When Nozel wakes up, he will see you as a talented magic knight, and he will be very proud. Don’t disappoint him.”

She heard the ugly sounds of her brother crying. Both of them seemed frozen in place. “He was going to make me a knight himself,” he hiccuped.

“I will if he can’t. We can’t let this hold us back.”

He slunk closer. She put her arms out as he leaned his face on her shoulder. “I want Nozel to make me a knight,” he whimpered between sobs. “I want to go back to normal.”

How could Nebra feel so spurned by her brother’s grieving. The motion of stroking his hair was mechanical. She stared past him at Nozel’s closed door.  _ Am I not good enough in his eyes?  _ She grit her teeth. This wasn’t about her, so why did it hurt so much? She forced her voice to be gentle, when all she wanted to do was scream. “...Why don’t you stay by brother’s bedside in case he wakes up?”

Solid inhaled a shaky breath. His voice only came out as a feeble squeak when he tried to get a word out. Whimpering, he nodded against her shoulder and squeezed her in a hug that felt like he was afraid to release it. He peeled off of her and shuffled back to Nozel’s room.

Nebra waited for the door to close before running her hands down her face. She was out of her brother’s watchful eye, but at what cost? Turning on her heel, she fled to her own room.

Her drawing table had been destroyed. The love letters they once held had been left at the manor. Every day, she waited for Ferdinand to replace them, to send any sign that she had done the right thing, and that this would go as it was supposed to. Instead, it had been four days without hearing from him.  _ He said I wouldn’t have to do this alone, _ she lamented, searching through her room again. He had to give her  _ something _ . Collapsing into bed, Nebra threw up a mist around her. It swirled and twisted in thick clouds, making everything in her room white and ethereal.  _ What if I made a mistake?  _ This wasn’t something she could go back on, now. Nozel would never be the same. Her family and her squad needed her. They needed who Ferdinand said she could be.  _ But I can’t be that on my own. If I can’t take Nozel’s place, this was all for nothing…  _ Her stomach twisted. Had she belonged in Nozel’s shadow? Would he ever wake up? She shivered.  _ He has to. Ferdinand said he would. _

But with each day that passed without a word from him, her confidence was waning. The familiar feeling that came when she was awaiting a letter as a child on her sickbed returned: that this was fake, she was a fool, and she would be left completely alone.


	3. All Eyes on Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nebra and Fuegoleon have a little chat and visit Nozel.

Nebra straightened her collar and combed through her bangs, preening fretfully. She was early. Nozel always arrived right on time. But at least, with no other captain here yet, she could fidget without looking weak. Her first Captain’s meeting. No Nozel. No Ferdinand. Not even Solid.  _ Do I belong here?  _ Anxiety twisted in her stomach. Her heart quickened. It had been pounding in her throat since she had entertained the thought of taking Nozel’s position, but not for the first time, she felt overcome by it. Sick. There was still time to escape before any captains arrived. Her eyes started to mist, and she turned them downward as she glided to the door.

She crashed into a broad chest. Mist sprang off her body like a puff of powder from a makeup poof. Powerful arms caught her before she could fall backward. Her heart leapt in her throat as she realized Fuegoleon had her in his grip. 

The vapor coated his skin as his head tipped up to look past her, searching the room. “Nebra, it’s been some time…” His voice dropped. “How is Nozel recovering? I see he’s not here.”

Her voice caught in her throat. 

“Nebra-”

“I told you I’m not interested,” a brusque voice growled.  _ The Foreigner. _

“Keh-he-he! Afraid to test your limits?”  _ The Commoner. _

“Now now, let’s not get worked up before the meeting’s even started.”  _ Vangeance. _

“Honestly what can you expect from foolish men?”

Nebra pulled herself out of Fuegoleon’s grip as the other captains shuffled in. She closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing as the captains bickered around her.

“And what’s up with you, Miss Priss? Dressed in all black like that, and here on your own.” Yami lifted the cigarette from his lips. She wrinkled her nose as he exhaled smoke, even though it didn’t reach her from across the room. “Is braidface dead or somethin?”

Her brows pulled together, and she balled her hands into fists at her side. “Watch your tongue, foreigner,” she growled. She lifted her chin and puffed her chest. “Nozel is recovering from injuries sustained on a recent mission. I am only filling in for him until he returns. What I wear for the occasion is none of your business.” She felt the captain’s eyes on her. Especially Fuegoleon’s burning into her skin. Forcing confidence into her voice, she added, “Don’t talk down to me because I am a vice captain.”

In the short silence that followed, Fuegoleon cleared his throat. “Have some respect, Yami.”

Vangeance nodded. “Miss Silva is stepping up to take a difficult role for the time being. We can’t let that distract us. Let’s begin the meeting.”

That chatter faded away as much as it would, and they got to business. Nebra’s heart rattled in her chest. They had accepted her among the captains- defended her even. She pressed a hand over her lips as a smile threatened to poke through her neutral expression. Her eyes flittered around the room; it seemed no one was paying her exceptional attention. She let the relief touch her eyes. That was until she caught Fuegoleon’s look. Her mirth cooled, and her gaze darted away.  _ That’s right, _ the thought needled her with growing guilt:  _ This is a somber occasion. _

Nebra didn’t want to rush on her way out of the meeting. It would only look more suspicious. When Fuegoleon fell in step beside her, she almost wished she had. “Can I speak with you privately?” he asked gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

She straightened and swallowed her anxiety. “I would have expected you to sooner.”

He frowned. “My apologies. When can you meet?”

Pressing a hand to her lips, she looked over the other captains filing out around them.  _ Let’s eat this frog… _ “Why don’t you come to House Silva tonight?”

“Yes. I’d like to visit Nozel.” His expression was hard and serious.

“He’s not ready for visitors…” Nebra looked away. “But I’ll make an exception for you.”

Nebra watched the vapors over her teacup rise as Fuegoleon sipped. The silence might have been tense, or she might have just been anxious.

The Vermillion cleared his throat. “Have you been well? Recovering swiftly?”

She traced the rim of her glass. “I didn’t have as much to recover from as you did, but yes. The mercury poisoning has been taken care of.”

Fuegoleon frowned. “And…?”

“And my doctors deemed me fit to lead,” she said pointedly. He didn’t need to know which magical, physical, and psychological exams she had or had not taken. Impatiently, she added, “They’re thorough about these types of things.”

He rubbed his chin. “Yes, they are. And you submitted your own report. I thought we would write one together.”

“You can submit your own. I wanted those events behind me.”

“How did you describe them?” the Vermillion pressed.

Nebra leered at him. 

“If we submit conflicting reports, they'll ask questions.”

“I told them the truth, but only what they needed to know. Nozel entered the situation with previous injuries from a bandit attack, and likely with drugs in his system. He lost control of his magic and attacked… my companion and me before I could stop him.”

“Your companion,” he breathed. Disbelief hung on his lips.

She continued as if he hadn’t interrupted, meeting his incredulous gaze. “My companion saved his life by removing a great deal of mercury from his body. You were incapacitated outside.”

“I don’t think that’s an accurate measure of events,” Fuegoleon objected.

“What part?” she retorted. “I am not going to include things to further incriminate-”

“Ferdinand?” He brought his cup down too hard. “Why are you defending-?”

“ _ My brother. _ ” Nebra snapped. “No one needs to know how poorly he performed. You can write things as you saw them, but I would prefer you not disparage Nozel’s name when he cannot defend it himself.”

His nostrils flared, and his brow furrowed. “You should tell them why Nozel was there. Why  _ you  _ were there.”

She pressed her bent fingers to her lip and looked away.

His voice rose. “Don’t you think so?”

“Ferdinand saved Nozel’s life when neither you nor I could,” she murmured, heart pounding. It was a hard lie to stomach, but she couldn’t abandon it now. “Remember that.”

His gaze darkened. He narrowed his eyes. She noticed more steam rising from his glass. “I want to trust you about this, Nebra.”

“Then trust me,” she challenged. Her gaze met his, unflinching. “Because that’s what happened.”

Invisible vapor seeped under the door of Nozel’s room as Nebra led Fuegoleon to it. When the door opened, she found Noelle resting her head on Nozel’s shoulder with her knees pulled up onto the chair beside the bed so she could more easily cling to him. She was snoring softly. It wasn’t an unusual way to find either of her younger siblings in the evenings.

Nebra strolled over and gently brushed her fingers through Noelle’s hair. Fuegoleon, not far behind her, looked apprehensive about the exchange; but with Nozel’s incapacitation, Nebra had managed to gain some sympathy for her younger sister. If Noelle was responsible for their mother’s death as a baby, then Nebra was a thousand times more culpable for what had happened to Nozel. Besides, her anxiety about Noelle’s weakness had dissolved. Nebra was much stronger now. There was no way Noelle could bring her down to her level again. “Noelle,” she murmured.

Noelle woke with a start and cringed away, nearly falling out of her seat.

Nebra steadied her and offered a wry smile that Noelle still didn’t know how to take. “Did you eat dinner, sister?”

“Y-yes.” Her eyes were still wide and vigilant.

“Then go to bed. I promise Nozel will be alright until morning.”

Noelle’s gaze flickered between Nebra and Nozel. Finally, she slid out of the chair and slunk past Nebra and Fuegoleon. Sparing the room’s inhabitants one last glance, she ventured, “Goodnight…”

“Goodnight, Noelle,” Nebra and Fuegoleon echoed. 

Though Nebra had turned her eyes to Nozel, she could sense the colorless mist around Fuegoleon’s face stir: the way his brow rose, the slight tip of his head, the subtle curve of his lip… he approved. 

She took Nozel’s hand. It was warmer than it had been the last time she held it. She was about to open her mouth and comment on that when his fingers shivered and closed weakly around hers. Nozel’s chest swelled with a purposeful inhale. Excitement and fear hit her in disorienting waves.  _ Is he waking up now?! Will he remember I-?  _ She dropped his hand, but his transformation into wakefulness didn’t stop. An expression was starting to cross his sleepy face. 

“Fuegoleon, I just had an idea and it may sound ridiculous,” she chattered. The Vermillion was stepping up beside her, and soon he would see that Nozel was waking. If she was going to create a distraction for the both of them, she had to do it right away. “Maybe one of your morale kisses could wake Nozel. I know it sounds silly, but please try.” She didn’t intend to give him time to think; she snaked around him and pushed him forward.

Someone as sturdy as Fuegoleon was too sure of footing to go down easily, but she hit him in one of his still healing wounds. Fuegoleon doubled over, hardly catching himself before he fell flat on her brother. He spared her a disgruntled glance, but it seemed that since his face was already so close to Nozel’s, and Nebra was looking at him with such pleading in her eyes, that he closed the distance. 

Their lips met, and Nozel’s eyes flickered open in bleary confusion. His face flushed red. His shaky hand searched until he managed to hook sluggish fingers into Fuegoleon’s cloak.

Fuegoleon pulled away, eyes wide. The dopey relief hit his face like a cool splash of water. “It worked!”

“W-” Nozel didn’t manage to get a whole word out before he pulled his attention from Fuegoleon and searched the room. His breathing picked up. Panic was raw on his face, and it didn’t settle until he picked out Nebra beside his bed. “Nebra-!”

Nebra stood frozen, caught in his gaze. She hoped her expression looked shocked instead of guilty, that he didn’t remember the words that she said when he first fell. When the only thing that entered his expression was heart-shattering relief, she let her tension fall. “Nozel!” She pushed Fuegoleon aside and threw her arms around his neck. If Fuegoleon weren’t there, she would have cried tears of joy that she would be allowed to sincerely celebrate Nozel’s waking. 

It was obviously an effort for Nozel to get his arms to cooperation well enough to hold her. His mana was as tremulous as his body, and she knew that without the magic items and binding spells on him, they would both be in danger. “You’re safe,” he whispered.

She huffed. “Of course I am. You worry too much, brother.”


	4. Genius

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nozel is awake. Time to fret.

Nebra gently brushed her fingers through Nozel’s bangs and parted the locks of hair to braid them. Instead of raising complaints like he would when their younger siblings tried as much, he tolerated her fretting with quiet dignity, eyes closed. His hands moved in slow exercises to rebuild his dexterity: thumb to index finger, to middle, to ring, to pinky, and starting again in a languid pattern interrupted by the occasional twitch. “Solid’s been talking about you,” he said.

Nebra’s mood fell. She had been enjoying the quiet time with her big brother. “Has he?”

“He says there are some examinations you opted out of.”

She sucked in a breath and forced some levity into her tone. “Snitch.”

“Why didn’t you take them?” he pressed.

Pinching the end of his braid between her fingers, she reached for his cross clip. “They evaluated my mental faculties after I recovered from the mercury poisoning. I thought that was sufficient.” She lingered after clipping his braid in place, straightening it nervously.

His hands stopped moving. 

Nebra swallowed. She hadn’t wanted to upset him. “Do you disagree?” she murmured.

“A mental evaluation like that wouldn’t necessarily show if you had been magically manipulated.” As her hand left his hair, he opened his eyes and looked at her. She couldn’t read his expression, but the tension in it was far from how he had been before.

“I don’t think that’s a possibility…” She pressed her bent fingers to her lips pensively. “Ferdinand isn’t exceptionally powerful. I don’t… I don’t think my actions need magical excuses.” Nebra didn’t know which idea was worse: that she had been manipulated and would have reality crash down on her when the spell was lifted, or that she hadn’t and she was completely responsible for betraying Nozel.  _ My intentions were never selfish, _ she reminded herself. _Betrayal isn't what this is._ But when he questioned her like this, it was harder to believe.

She sensed the twitch of his brow through the vapor that hung in the air around them. “You behaved foolishly, going off alone like that. It’s not like you.”

And now the jabs she was used to. “You did the same thing,” she objected. “We both got ahead of ourselves, worrying about each other… We’re lucky Ferdinand’s intentions weren’t malicious.”

He scowled and took a deep breath. Her brother was fighting some emotion, made too strong by his condition. He couldn’t swallow the anger; his words came out a snarl. “Then we’ll both be evaluated.”

Nebra drew a hand through her hair and paced about the Silver Eagles’ captain’s office- Nozel’s office by name, even if she had been using it for the past couple weeks. Paperwork had piled up while she worried. She had hoped Nozel’s recovering mind would forget about the examination, but he brought it up every time she visited him. It wasn’t that she really believed her mind had been altered; she just didn’t want anyone poking around inside her head. Why couldn’t Nozel respect that?

Frustration rose up in her chest, and the room filled with a white mist. Dropping into her seat, she put her face in her hands.  _ Why must he always be so difficult? It’s not fair! _ Her throat felt tight. To stave off tears, she focused on the mist swirling around her.

_ And Ferdinand! _ she thought furiously.  _ He was supposed to help me! _ A pit opened within her. Again, she wondered if she had been fooled. Ferdinand was gone without a trace. Maybe he had never been what she thought, but what could he possibly gain from leaving her in this state? Nebra grimaced. She wanted to defend her state of mind even more. He said he would write. He  _ had  _ to. Would that happen if some doctor announced Nebra was magically out of her mind? Growling to herself, she pulled open the drawer of the desk and dug up stationary. The Silva letterhead. She would hide nothing. If Ferdinand was going to string her along like this, he would receive every unkind word she could throw at him. She dragged out a pen and ink and started writing, scribbling in an angry cursive:

_ Ferdinand Penchant, _

_ You will not make a fool of the new head of House Silva. It is not my responsibility to seek you out. In fact it is a grave insult that I must sink so low! You have one chance to answer me before I begin hunting you for sport. A broken leg will be the least of your problems! _

_ You have my siblings questioning my faculties and perhaps my loyalty, and that is unacceptable. I am the embodiment of House Silva in grace and power and character and I will not have you disparage my name! To think I told you I love you! To think I slept in your bed! You were a fool to believe I felt anything for you but what a spider feels when a fly lands in her web. You are an insect. A speck of dirt. I don’t need your assistance, and if you will not step forward and show yourself as a nobleman, then I won’t accept it, either. I can solve my own problems! I don’t need a doctor to call me competent when I know on my own _

Nebra stopped short. Dropping her pen, she slapped her palm over her face and laughed.  _ Of course! It was so obvious…  _ She didn’t need a doctor to evaluate her and Nozel. She only needed to make a convincing image of one. She couldn’t believe the idea hadn’t come to her sooner. The hysterical lilt of her laugh was not something she missed, but it was just so funny that she, an illusion mage, hadn’t considered until now that she could pull the wool over her brother’s eyes.

She sighed and leaned her head back on the chair. A great weight had been lifted from her, and the mist stilled. Could she mimic the doctor’s mana and spellcasting? It wouldn’t be sincere, but the appearance would be there. If she could see him cast something like it…  _ surely Nozel wouldn’t know the difference? _ Suspicious as he may be, he wouldn’t expect this. And then she wouldn’t have to lie to him again. Her grimoire glowed and rose from her side. This would be as simple as finding the right spell- or writing a new one that fit. As the book landed on the captain’s desk before her, she gave an excited wiggle.  _ Nozel would be so proud if he knew how clever I am. It’s just too bad he will never find out…  _


	5. Finesse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The doctor visits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact! I've just been picking chapter titles out of my Sexy Evil Nebra playlist, which is a thing I have. It might be longer than my actual black clover playlist.

Nebra flitted around her mist clone of the doctor, assessing the shift of his faux clothing when she touched it, and the way the light bounced off him. She knew her illusion was near perfect after hours of spying on the man, but Nozel had an eye for detail; nothing should be out of place. 

“Nebra is perfectly healthy. I sense no magical interference… interference… interference,” she practiced his enunciation. The words sounded crisp and real. She stood back and pressed her bent fingers to her lips. The only problem was his mana. It wasn’t something she could recreate in a way that would convince Nozel yet, at least not when he had his full faculties about him. She may have wiggle room, now, but she didn’t want to leave it up to chance.  _ What to do, then? _ She flipped through her spells pensively. Mist Spider's Masquerade Banquet had some the pieces she needed, but it was too bulky and noticeable. Ferdinand has promised her a better version of it eventually. Allowing herself a moment of irritation that he was taking so long to deliver, she sat down at the desk in her bedroom and dispelled her mist clone.  _ I can develop it myself. If the doctor is present…  _

"The doctor is here to see you, Master Silva, Lady Silva," a servant announced.

Nozel spared Nebra a glance and straightened in bed, expression serious. "Send him in." He flexed his hands and crossed them in front of him. It was harder to notice the tremors that way.

The servant let the doctor in and excused themself. "Good afternoon," he greeted. "Nebra informed me you wanted more tests done."

"Yes, my sister believes she is immune to magical manipulation," Nozel said impatiently. But Nebra's illusions had pulled together around him, and the words twisted and changed before they reached the doctor:  _ "Yes, Nebra is still being bothersome worrying about me." _

The doctor smiled sympathetically at her and Nozel. "Very well. I will look again." Nebra's mist swallowed up the 'again.'

"Check both of us," Nebra commanded. "He's the one worrying." She leered at him. 

"Yes, ma'am, the doctor said. He approached Nozel first. His magic power glowed as it moved over Nozel's head. His expression, though he tried to keep it encouraging and professional, betrayed the same anxiety that it had the last time he looked at the damage Nozel had done to himself with his mercury. "Nothing's changed," he said, and Nebra added in his voice,  _ "You don't have any lingering enchantments." _

Nozel turned his nose up at the doctor. "Of course not. And Nebra?"

The doctor approached her and she felt his mana probing her brain- only the physical aspects of it- looking for damage from mercury poisoning like he had many times before. "Nebra is completely healthy, Master Silva. There's nothing left affecting her."

She silently praised the doctor for saying something so perfect that she didn't have to change his words.

"Nothing left? Was there something before?" Nozel pressed. Again, Nebra stopped the words from reaching the doctor, instead making her brother's image give a fussy dismissal. 

The doctor excused himself and left as her clone seamlessly took over. The doctor's lingering mana, caught in the mist, made the image convincing.  _ "No. Her mind is completely free of interference." _

"I told you, brother," Nebra said, hiding a smirk behind her hand. "Didn't I say you worry too much?"

He huffed and closed his eyes tiredly. If he weren’t hiding his tremors, he would have flicked his wrist dismissively. Instead he said, "Be gone."

The clone turned to leave the room.

"Wait," he said, jerking up as if he had been shocked awake. "I want you to run one more test on Nebra."

"... Yes?" The clone asked. 

Nebra's smirk dissolved.

"She needs a pregnancy test."

Nebra's face burned and her voice rose in pitch and volume. "No I don't!" Her shock and offense was so strong, she nearly lost her focus on the clone. "How could you insult me like this!?" 

"You spent multiple nights with a strange man. I saw the mark he left on your neck," her brother said sourly. "Don't you think it best to know sooner than later?" Nozel was doing all but calling her a slut outright.

She was seeing red from both anger and embarrassment. "You're just butthurt because you're wrong!" She whined. "Ferdinand is a gentleman, and I am no fool!" Spinning on her heel, she stomped out. This, she would rather prove sincerely. She would not let Nozel get away with speaking to her like that.

"I'll speak to her," the clone murmured apologetically, and followed her out. It disappeared as the door closed and she hunted down the real doctor. 

Her demand rang down the corridor and startled the doctor. "Get back here immediately!"

He turned and hurried back, wary of her angrily rumbling mana. "Yes, my Lady?"

"My foolish brother thinks I need a pregnancy test because he wants to embarrass me. I'll prove him wrong. Come on, let's get this over with."

A bit ruffled, the doctor followed her back inside. He used his magic to check her over again, this time with focus to her belly. As she expected, there was nothing unusual going on, and the doctor said as much before he was allowed to leave. "In your face, Nozel!" Nebra snapped. "Don't you feel stupid, now?"

Nozel laughed. It was nearly jarring enough to startle Nebra out of her bad mood. Nozel’s mood swings were something she would have to get used to.. "No. I'm relieved. If it's just the stress of leading the Silver Eagles that has you acting strangely, then you won't have to deal with it forever."

She glared at him impatiently down her nose. “You’ll recover faster when you learn to mind your own damn business,” she snapped. “I can’t believe you would call me out like that! Let me do your job in peace!”

“Whether I’m your captain or not, I’m still your older brother,” he said, extending his hand. Moody as she was, she humored him and took it. “You can’t stop me from worrying.”

Nebra felt abruptly like she would be sick. Jerking her hand away, she turned and marched out.


	6. Two Heads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nebra has lunch with Noelle, a change of heart, and then dinner with Fuegoleon.

A hand gently shook Nebra awake by her shoulder. “I’m working,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. The report she had been reading when she closed them had a few damp spots on its surface. Had she been drooling in her sleep? Crying? It took her a moment to pull her surroundings together. She was in the Silver Eagles captain’s office. She hadn’t gone home last night, intent on avoiding her brothers. Her magic knight’s robe had been hung up when she dozed off, but now it was draped over her shoulders. 

Noelle was standing beside her desk with a picnic basket in hand. “Hi, big sister,” she greeted cautiously. “I brought you lunch.”

_ I slept until lunch time? _ Nebra’s stomach twisted hungrily. She had skipped dinner. For now her hunger would win over her anxiety. She pushed her papers aside. “Right. Let me see.” 

Noelle’s cautious expression brightened and she lifted the basket onto Nebra’s desk. As Nebra rifled through it, she pulled a chair up to the other side of the desk. There was enough for both of them, certainly packed by a servant. Dessert was on the bottom; Nebra only went as far as the first two courses before she set the basket aside and began eating. She wasn’t awake enough to be feeling the full force of the guilt that had been haunting her the past few days, and she didn’t want to waste any time before it caught up to her and made her nauseous again.

“Do you like it?” Noelle asked, helping herself to what Nebra set aside.

Nebra looked up at her incredulously, mouth full.

“I thought you would be hungry… Solid said you fell asleep here.”

Swallowing, Nebra scoffed, “Solid worries too much. Nozel is rubbing off on him.”

Her little sister dipped the corner of her sandwich into a small bowl of au jus. “I’m still not sure exactly what happened,” she murmured.

“Nozel lost his grimoire. I retrieved it. He worried too much because I had gone without him, and hurt himself,” Nebra summarized.

The way Noelle took her explanation at face value was refreshing. She nodded in understanding, even though her expression was somber. “When will he be better?”

Nebra sighed and swallowed past a lump in her throat. “I don’t know.”

The pair fell silent. As tolerant as Nebra had grown, and as eager as Noelle was to take advantage of that tolerance, the pair still didn’t quite have the rapport to keep up a conversation. They finished the meal- as much as Nebra could eat of it- and Noelle fidgeted.

“Well…” Nebra cleared her tightening throat and fought to keep a break out of her voice. “Go tell Nozel that everything is fine without him.”

Her sister nodded. “You can keep the leftovers.” She motioned awkwardly to the basket and scampered out.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Nebra was on her feet. She paced her office in Noelle’s absence, trying to relax enough to go back to work. Her meal was turning her stomach.  _ Maybe there’s still time for Nozel to get better, _ she thought. But she remembered the look on the doctor’s face, how he tried so hard to sugarcoat the news. Her heart pounded. Her throat tightened. Putting a hand over her mouth, she leaned over her desk.  _ I have to find a way to undo this! Ferdinand tricked me, that bastard…! I can’t take Nozel’s place! My own brother-! _

In her distress, she knocked the basket from the desk. The leftover food crashed down. Nebra’s eyes flickered to the newly made mess. They stuck on dessert. _What_ is _that splattered on the floor?_ She had never seen something like it come out of the Silva kitchen: cheesecake, a light caramel sauce, chopped almonds… 

“A… amaretto cheesecake...” Her heart fluttered. Her cheeks flushed. “Ferdinand?” Hiking her skirt up, she knelt down and examined the mess. There it was: A letter stuck inside the bottom of the basket. “I can’t believe he has the nerve to be cheeky at a time like this…!” she smarted, but her anxiety was already dissolving. A rush of familiar and long awaited infatuation was taking over. She practically vibrated with excitement, relief, and affection as she unfolded the letter and luxuriated in his handsome penmanship.

_ Dearest N, _

_ I will begin with a long overdue apology, as I am sure anger is the first thing on your mind. I really do have a terrible habit of keeping a lady waiting, don’t I? Hopefully dessert has eased your mood, and I can offer a satisfactory explanation. Feel confident that this is the last time you’ll be left wanting for so long.  _

_ There are two reasons I did not contact you sooner. First, I had no intention of giving you anything but my best. Your power is overwhelming, and your station and character deserves better than a distracted suitor. You left me in a state both awestruck and wounded, and so I decided I would write to you only once I had recovered enough to give you everything you might want. Second, I wanted you to see firsthand your own capabilities: that you are dependent on no one, last of all me. I have been following your actions and I cannot overstate my pride and admiration. You’ve stepped forward with a combination of poise and agency that is both intimidating and magnetic. I’ve never been so thoroughly enamored in my life. Regardless, if I have hurt you with my silence, I will do anything to make amends. Only write the words. _

_ You know exactly what path to take in the meantime. I am at your beck and call. Your confidante, as I always have been. I can’t wait to hear from you again and, when you’re ready, to hold you in my arms. _

_ Love, _

_ Ferdinand Penchant _

Nebra read the letter in stops and starts, twice over, savoring every word. She sunk her back against the chair and hugged it to her chest. All the tension came unwound. Her fear and guilt eased.  _ Yes, I did the right thing! I should have known! _ Despite Ferdinand’s apology, he had arrived just in time to divert disaster. She ran a hand down her face. “You perfectionist fool… I can’t believe I love you.” She couldn’t keep the smile from her lips. She wondered absentmindedly if these highs and lows were what made him so attractive. Or maybe it was how he always made her feel better. Folding his letter and tucking it away, she decided it didn’t matter. Like so many times before, he had soothed her. She had no reason to question herself anymore.

Nebra decided she would leave Ferdinand in suspense. It would be the best way to get back at him, and she didn’t need anything else to elevate her mood yet. She still had plans to enact, and the confidence to do them well.

But first she would check on Nozel. He was in the best place he could possibly be, and he would realize it soon enough. She strolled down the halls of House Silva toward his room, but just as she was about to open the door, the knob was pulled from her hands. She stood face to face with Fuegoleon Vermillion.

“Oh, Nebra… Good afternoon,” he greeted, putting on a polite, professional expression.

“Good afternoon, Fuegoleon.” She peeked around him. Nozel’s bed was empty. A servant was rearranging the pillows.  _ What? Where could he be? He can hardly get anywhere on his own…  _ Her brow furrowed. “Where is my brother?”

“Oh, he’s visiting Dorothy. I had to ask around, myself.” He gently closed the door behind him while Nebra stood processing that. 

_ Dorothy? How did he leave to visit her? _ Wishing she knew more about their relationship, she put a hand over her mouth. “Well there go my dinner plans…” Her gaze flickered up to Fuegoleon. “And yours as well, I assume. It’s disappointing, but maybe we can make the most of it.”

He offered her a quizzical look. “You want to have dinner together?”

“If you’re offering.” She smirked behind her hand and turned on her heel. “As often as we pass each other in the halls, we hardly ever have time to stop and talk.”

“It has been a while…” Fuegoleon easily fell in step beside her. Royals weren’t ones to allow themselves to be overtaken, and that meant that he had little chance to actually decide to join her. If he didn’t want to be a follower physically, he would have to be one mentally. She had made the choice for him. “I submitted my report-”

“Good.”

“-With all my concerns.”

“And I bet you know now that they’ve been addressed,” she said, leering at him out of the corner of her eye.

The Vermillion brushed a hand through his hair and made a clear effort to relax. “Yes. I’m relieved.”

Nebra let irritation edge into her voice. “Then stay that way. I don’t like you feeding Nozel's paranoia. You know that’s a symptom of his poisoning? Getting him worrying won’t help him recover.”

“It was a valid concern, and now that it’s dealt with, it’s easier to move on,” he defended. His resolve hadn’t budged an inch. The pair had reached the dining room and Fuegoleon pulled out a seat for her before settling in across from her. Servants jumped into action to serve them.

“I guess,” she plucked up her fork and pushed her salad around unenthusiastically. “‘Moving on’ is not a comfortable topic, but I think you may be the best equipped to discuss it. You’ve seen Nozel…” She looked up at him, an anxious mask on her face. He was more stoic than she would have liked. “It’s unclear if he’ll return to his position as captain.” Averting her gaze, she muttered, “That means  _ I’ll  _ be stuck with the title.”

She heard his silverware clink. He cleared his throat. “... It’s far from an ideal situation.” Her mist hovered imperceptibly over the table and settled on his skin. His mana wasn’t so riled that it could ward her off, but she could feel the tense shiver of the muscle under his skin, and feel the pound of his heart.

Her knuckles whitened as she gripped her glass. Nerves fizzled in her chest- a mix of anxiety and excitement. “I need to grow to rival my brother if I want to be as good a leader as he was.” _I need to be_ better. Her gaze snapped up to meet his. “I need to grow to rival _you._ ”

Fuegoleon bridled. His mana threw off her mist where it had settled on his skin. “What?”

“I won’t let House Silva or the Silver Eagles fall. Do you understand?” She leaned forward, gaze intense. “Accept me as your new rival, Fuegoleon. I can’t let Nozel down.”

Shock, anger, and grief flashed across his features, each too fast to completely register as a full expression. The fork in his hand glowed red around his fingers, but he composed himself quickly enough. Only his eyes kept that emotional glow. “It’s too soon to write Nozel off like that… but if training will help you fill in for him until he recovers, then fine.”


	7. Pet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nebra and Fuegoleon train together, and Nebra prepares for her first real mission as acting captain of the Silver Eagles.

Fuegoleon’s mana flared, burning away several coils of mist as a fiery lion raised up beneath him and let out a skull-shaking roar. A wave of heat rolled out in every direction, burning away her clones and illusions. The lion charged Nebra and threw itself at her, collapsing into a hot torrent of flame. Raising her arms to defend herself, she dug in her heels and tried to expand her mana skin. The vapor around her heated to steam, but the water was persisting. She had the advantage, and she wouldn’t let herself be moved by a little fire. Her hair and clothes fluttered, and her mana skin seemed to rattle around her, but it was working. She knew it was working! It was sifting the mana from the flame. If she had the time-!

“Nebra!” An arm wrapped around her waist and jerked her out of the flame. The remnants of the attack swirled in the air, too energetic to dissipate all at once. Fuegoleon pulled her out of the burning orange light and turned his back to it, protecting her. His hand held her firmly, resting low over her ribcage as he flattened her back against his chest. “What are you thinking?” he demanded. His voice was a chastising rumble in her ear.

“I was focusing!” she smarted. “Why did you stop me?”

“Your mana skin was failing,” he said bluntly. 

In the burst of hot air, her dress fluttered. In spots it had been reduced to ash, and the smell of burning wrinkled her nose. Dusty particles still blew away as burnt patches of it came apart under his palm, and his thumb unintentionally touched her bare skin. Her heart was pounding hard. Her chest was rising and falling as she struggled to catch her breath. She was sweating, and she could feel burns along her arms and aches in her muscles from working so hard. “I had it completely under control!” she snapped indignantly.

Compared to her, his heartbeat was a slow thump at her back, and he hadn’t broken a sweat. “You’re being reckless. I’m going to hurt you if you don’t protect yourself.”

She bristled. “I was on the verge of something! Who are you to tell me my limits? Would you treat Nozel this way?”

“I’ve never had to.” The Vermillion released her, shaking ash off his hands. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “We’re done for the day.”

“But I’ve only gotten started!” she gasped.

“You need a break.” He shook his head and looked down on her. “Perhaps from more than training.”

She leered venomously back at him. Her mana shivered in the air around her.

But he wouldn’t entertain even the light competition of showing off their mana. “We’ll try again later,” he said gently, patting her shoulder. “Heal up in the meantime.” He turned and marched inside, leaving her to stew in her own fury.

Nebra tucked a letter into her bra as she strolled to Nozel’s room for the morning. She would be saying goodbye to him for a few days, and leaving on a mission- her first overnight mission as the leader of the Silver Eagles. It was simple, and she was looking forward to telling him about it only after her success. She could already anticipate his pride- and he wouldn’t even have the chance to worry himself over it. Best of all, she would have a chance to see Ferdinand while she was away from home.

Of course, her mood soured when she found Solid already at Nozel’s bedside. Her brothers looked up as she entered, and Solid puffed his chest like he was some grand hero. She knew from the protective glint in his eye that he had already given something away.

“Solid tells me that you’re leaving the capital for a mission today,” Nozel announced.

“How responsible of him, worrying you like that,” she said with faux pride. 

“Why didn’t you tell big brother sooner?” Solid demanded. “Were you scared he’d-”

“Quiet, Solid.” Nozel waved his hand dismissively. “You’ve done enough. Let us talk.” When Solid lingered, Nozel enunciated. “Let us talk  _ alone. _ ”

The teen Silva’s voice cracked with indignation. “But, brother-!”

“Out,” Nebra snapped. 

When Nozel backed up her command with a serious leer, Solid snorted and slunk out. He closed the door hard behind him- not quite a slam, but a quiet tantrum nonetheless. Silence fell over the room.

Nebra’s eyes went askance. “... It’s a simple mission. I didn’t want to worry you over it.”

“I’m not worried.”

Her gaze snapped back to him. He looked serious, hands crossed over his lap. He was the most steady she had seen him since he had been injured. “Y… you’re not?”

“No. Solid isn’t the only one keeping me informed of the situation. I think this is a good first mission for you, and a valuable experience if you intend to be captain for a long time.”

She felt dizzy with relief. Never mind who his other informants were; he was letting her lead. A warm smile tugged at her lips. “Only as long as I need to be, brother… Thank you for trusting me.”

He flexed one hand and started working on his exercises, touching his thumb to each fingertip. “Of course, something could always go wrong, even in the simplest scenario. It’s important that you have someone you can rely on by your side, practice mission or not.”

“Yes, I chose some senior magic knights to accompany me,” she said lightly. “I’ve planned for if something happens.” She wriggled her hips happily and relished the feeling of her skirt swaying from side to side. “You’re the best teacher, brother. The knights I chose praised my decisions. I could show you my plans.”

He seemed satisfied with this. “You should. And I will pick someone extra to accompany you. You can knight Solid and bring him with you, or you can take Fuegoleon.”

Her good mood crashed. She froze. “E-excuse me?” This wasn’t a real choice, and he knew it.  _ I’m not having my little brother be my chaperone! I would never hear the end of it! _ But either one of Nozel’s choices would stick to her like glue…  _ How am I supposed to meet with Ferdinand? _ “Don’t you trust our squadmates?”

“I do, but they aren’t accustomed to criticising you. I need someone who isn’t afraid to be honest, and who knows what you’re capable of.” He met her eye seriously. “Of course, I don’t expect that they’ll need to tell me anything unflattering… But you understand why I would want this in royal hands.”

Did his gaze look sharper? She put a hand over her mouth to hide her unsettled frown. There was no way to argue this without raising more questions. “Yes… I understand. I guess I’ll work Fuegoleon into my plans…”


End file.
